TREBLINKA: - Holocaust Handbooks

Chapter III:
Investigations, Camp Plans, Statistics
1. Soviet Investigations and Forensic Examinations
In the middle of August 1944, the 65th Soviet Army conquered the region
around Treblinka. The Military Examining Judge of the Military Office of
Prosecution, First Lieutenant of Justice Jurowski, went to work immediately,
supported by other officers – Major Kononyuk, Major V.S. Apresian, First
Lieutenant F.A. Rodionov, Major M.E. Golovan, and Lieutenant N.V. Kadalo
– and conducted investigations on the grounds of the camps Treblinka I and
Treblinka II between August 15 and 23. He furthermore questioned witnesses:
Samuel Rajzman, Lucjan Pucha�a, Marianna Kobus, Stanis�aw Zdonek, Barbara
Zemkiewicz, Józef Pukaszek, Stanis�aw Kon, Mieczys�aw Anyszkiewicz,
Tadeusz Kann, Franciszek Wesolowski, Max Lewit, and Kazimierz Skarzy�ski.
193
On August 22 and 23, the Soviet investigative committee, accompanied by
local Polish officials, went to Treblinka to carry out investigations on the spot.
Three mass graves and 13 individual graves were discovered. The exhumation
of the bodies yielded the following picture:
1. Grave 10 m × 5 m × 2 m in dimension, with 105 bodies, which had been
buried in layers of 5 to 7 each. Upon each layer of bodies, a layer of earth 45
to 50 cm thick had been piled. 194
2. Grave 10 m × 5 m × 1.9 m in dimension, with 97 bodies in layers of 5 to
6 bodies respectively, with layers of earth 50 cm thick interposed. 195
3. Grave 10 m × 5 m × 2.5 m in dimension, with 103 bodies in layers of 5
to 6 each, with layers of earth 50 cm thick interposed. 196
On August 24, 1944, a commission composed of the Soviet officers previously
named as well as representatives of the local Polish authorities produced
the first official report concerning the camps Treblinka I and II. Regarding
Treblinka II it states: 197
193
GARF, 7021-115-11, pp. 15-43.
194
Document n. 1, undated but clearly compiled on August 22 or 23, 1944. GARF, 7021-115-
11, p. 1.
195
Document n. 2, August 23, 1944. GARF, 7021-115-11, p. 2.
196
Document n. 3, August 23, 1944. GARF, 7021-115-11, p. 3.
197
Document, August 24, 1944. GARF, 7021-115-9, pp. 103-110.
77